Manchester United and Real Madrid vying for Dele Alli’s signature

Dele Alli was little known three or four years ago, but since moving from League One MK Dons to Tottenham Hotspur in 2015, he has turned into one of Europe's most wanted players, alongside teammate Harry Kane.

Manchester United and Real Madrid are now reportedly set to battle for Alli's signature in January.

According to the stories, the Red Devils are willing to splash £180 million to sign the Tottenham star, but the price could rise as Florentino Perez has also set his sights on the same target.

But competition for Alli could drop should Madrid decide to sign Kane instead. It was reported that the Galacticos were ready to launch a €200-million bid for the Golden Boot winner, and that hardly leaves space for more of the same for Alli.

Real Madrid are reportedly looking for replacements for Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo's contract expires in 2019 and there have been rumours that he might be bound for a Stadio Bernabeu exit at the end of the season. The Portuguese star has denied the stories, but recent rumours suggest he held secret talks with the wealthy Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain.

According to a report from the Telegraph in October, The Lily Whites were confident that Alli would ink a deal that would extend his stay in North London. The contract would likely include a significant salary rise. Whether this would happen remains to be seen.

Alli stunned the 12-time Champions League winners after bagging two against them at Wembley in his first appearance in the Champions League this season after returning from a three-match ban.

Despite lacking consistency in contrast to last season, Alli has scored seven goals and made four assists in all competitions so far. Last term, he netted 18 goals and provided seven assists in the Premier League.